Andréa Ferréol Movies

Laurent Chouchan's comedy Ca Se Soigne? follows the plight of Tom Bledish (Thierry Lhermitte of The Dinner Game), a musician who appears to have everything going for him; with a ravishing wife and a covetable new appointment to a job as the head of the Parisian symphony orchestra, it seems that circumstances could not possibly improve - and indeed, his fate soon takes a cruel downturn when he's stricken by a bout of severe clinical depression. Despite a myriad of treatments, nothing seems to work, and indeed Tom begins to wonder if he'll ever regain his zest for life. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Maverick director Melvin Van Peebles translates his own satirical novel to the screen with this multi-national portrait of race, class, and hypocrisy. The film's title refers to the name of a haute cuisine restaurant run by a self-satisfied conservative couple, Henri (Jacques Boudet) and Loretta (Andrea Ferreol). When the two find themselves overworked in the kitchen, they retreat to the local orphanage to find some cheap waitressing help, and the teenaged Diamantine (Meiji U Tum'si) fits the bill perfectly. The haughty couple has more plans for the girl than just waiting tables, however -- the conspicuously accommodating Henri and Loretta are actually bad-mouthing the girl behind her back to the townspeople and the restaurant's patrons. They go so far as to ask the naive Diamantine to pretend that she's pregnant, and she complies under the assumption that it's a harmless prank. When their intentions are revealed, however, the girl becomes wise to the couple's self-satisfied scheming, and sets her sights on revenge. Set in late-1960s France, the film was shot entirely on digital video and then transferred to 35mm prints; Van Peebles composed the score himself. Le Conte du Ventre Plein was first shown as a special presentation at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Set in the 1930s, Premier de Cordee begins as Zian (Frederic Gorny), a young man who has traveled from his birthplace in the Alps to Paris, returns to his family home just as his father, a mountain guide, dies after being struck by lightning. Zian has chosen to carry on in his father's work, although he's very much aware of the dangers involved. Along with the death of his father, he's also been confronted with the sad fate of his best friend, who went into the mountains to rescue Ruspoli (Giuliano Gemma), the rich client stranded by the death of Zian's father. When the young man returned, it was discovered he had lost his toes to frostbite. However, Zian is determined to become a guide, and he soon wins the attentions of Ruspoli's daughter, Bianca (Silvia de Santis), even though her socially prominent family is not happy that she's become involved with a poverty-stricken mountaineer. A climbing accident leaves Zian with a chronic case of vertigo that threatens his new career, but with Bianca's help he sets his sights on conquering Mount Blanc. Based on a series of three novels by Roger Frison-Roche (which were previously adapted for the screen in 1943), Premier de Cordee was originally shot on videotape for broadcast by French, Italian, and Swiss television networks, though it was later transferred to film for theatrical screenings. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Corruption on the boxing circuit at the turn of the century provides the basis of this French drama. The story centers on a talented young fighter, a logger that Abel Ginoux and his Italian partner Zipolino, a crooked doctor, discover during a fight in a woodland town. The logger, Passe Partout, is in a fight with Ginoux's best fighter and ends up accidentally killing the pugilist. Ever the opportunist, Ginoux lures Partout into the ring to replace the late fighter. Partout proves to be the classic provincial innocent with high, rugged ideals and little knowledge about the modern world. Ginoux takes him to town for the first time and the logger is delighted to discover amenities such as electricity and silent films. He soon falls in love with the beauteous Camille who works in her late father's cafe with her mother. Her father made many of the films, most of which are boxing matches, because he believed that the presence of a camera rendered a fight unfixable. Ginoux forces Partout to make a difficult decision when he demands that Partout take a dive in the ring during a filmed match. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Romeo Spera (Carlo Verdone), an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, is a musician who used to be fairly popular. Even now he earns his living in music as an accompanist to female singers. His big problem, though, is that he is hungry for romance. The predictions of a fortune teller encourage his hope that he will know love. When he meets Iris Blond, it's love at first sight. In order to cultivate Iris for stardom, Romeo abruptly terminates his current professional and personal arrangement with singer Marguerite. But despite his newfound passion, Romeo maintains a non-sexual relationship with Iris so that he can focus on promoting her career. When Iris gets an important contract to perform without Romeo, she kindly violates their platonic contract. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The title of this documentary on Rainer Maria Fassbinder is just slightly changed from the title of a film that director made in 1976, entitled Ich Will Doch Nur, Dass Ihr Mich Liebt (I Only Want You to Love Me). The wunderkind of postwar German filmmaking died at age 36 in 1982 after making over 50 films in his short fifteen year career. He tended to produce resolutely experimental films using members of his theatrical troupe, the "Anti-Theater." Hanna Schygulla, frequently the female lead in his films, speaks about the man and his character as a director, as do others who were members of his extended filmmaking family. This is the first attempt to produce a documentary of the audacious, controversial director since his death, and it is interesting that it shuns personal controversies (his homosexuality, drug use) that he never shied away from in real life. Those looking for a deeper perspective on the man's character and development will have to wait for another feature; his complex and far-reaching career will surely yield quite a few. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Based on Agnes Hall's novel Qualthrough, this suspenseful crime drama chronicles the comeuppance of a murderous banker. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A group of teens leave their comfortable homes on a trip south to the Pyrennes Mountains in order to find a treasure that they have read about. Simultaneously, a fourteen-year-old boy has grown so fixated on Clo (Andréa Ferreol), a mature woman, that he has run away to be with her. After treating him appropriately for his age, she follows her own curiosity and they briefly engage in a sexual relationship, after which she resumes her role as an adult and sees to it that he returns to his family, which has been suspicious of their relationship all along. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

A wallflower who makes her living dressing haute-couture models by day is a fantastic shoe designer by night. Unfortunately, no one has ever seen her work, not even her arrogant fashion-designer boss. This romantic comedy follows what happens when she does someone a good deed and is visited by a fairy godmother who turns her into a great beauty who at last catches the eye and the love of her employer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Told in flashback, the film relates Francis of Assisi's evolution from rich man's son to religious humanitarian and eventually to full-fledged saint. Francesco was based on Hermann Hesse's Francis of Assisi, which director Liliana Cavani had previously filmed in 1966. The Saint and founder of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor is played by Mickey Rourke, and his inspiration, the woman who later became Saint Clare, is played by Helena Bonham Carter. Raised as the pampered son of a merchant, Francis goes off to war only to return with a profound horror for the society which generated such suffering. In one scene, as an act of renunciation, he strips himself of his fine clothing in front of his father and leaves the house naked and barefoot, joining the lepers and beggars in the poor section of town. The film follows with a series of episodes from the saint's life rather than a coherent narrative, following up until his final days when he receives the stigmata, or wounds similar to those on the body of Jesus at the crucifixion. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Based on a novel by Jack Higgins, this WW-II thriller chronicles the daring rescue of a captured American officer who has vital information concerning the upcoming Normandy invasion. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Sam Fuller's last film as a director, made during his self-imposed European exile, stars Keith Carradine as once glamorous pop singer Michael, who has been reduced to a grizzled street bum scavenging for booze and food. The cause of his downfall was his affair with the beautiful Celia (Valentina Vargas), a mistress of ruthless crime boss Eddie (Marc de Jonge). The mobster punished the singer "where it hurts most" -- by slitting his throat and thus ruining his career. Years later, Michael crosses paths with Eddie and his thugs again and gets a chance for revenge. ~ Yuri German, Rovi